YM BioSciences Nimotuzumab Results Reported at SIOP Conference

MISSISAUGA, ON, Oct. 31, 2011 /CNW/ - YM BioSciences Inc. (NYSE
Amex: YMI, TSX: YM) today announced that preliminary results of a
Phase II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of nimotuzumab in
pediatric patients with recurrent diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma
(DIPG) were reported at the 43rd Congress of the International
Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) conference being held in
Auckland, New Zealand.

"Nimotuzumab is an anti-EGFR antibody that has shown promising
activity in a previous Phase II study in patients with
recurrent/refractory DIPG, a particularly severe, inoperable form
of cancer for which there are currently no lifesaving effective
treatments," said Dr. Ute Bartels at The Hospital for Sick Children
in Toronto, Canada. "In the study we conducted, nimotuzumab was
found to be safe and well tolerated. In this very challenging
disease, a small subset of patients showed prolonged survival and
benefit from nimotuzumab."

The study was a Phase II, open-label, single-arm, multi-center
study conducted at multiple sites in the US, Canada, and Israel. It
was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab in
patients aged three to 18 years of age with clinically and
radiologically confirmed recurrent diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma
(DIPG) following one previous regimen for their disease. All had
received prior radiotherapy and 25 had received chemotherapy.
Nimotuzumab (150 mg/m2) was administered intravenously once weekly
from week one to seven and once every two weeks from week eight to
18. Patients with Partial Response (PR) or Stable Disease (SD) were
allowed to continue nimotuzumab.

Of 46 patients enrolled, 44 received at least one dose of
nimotuzumab. Nineteen patients (43.2%) completed the induction
phase, five patients (11.4%) completed the consolidation phase, and
three patients (6.8%) continued to receive nimotuzumab after
completing the consolidation phase. Seven patients (15.9%) died due
to disease progression. Treatment with nimotuzumab was well
tolerated with most adverse events reported as mild or moderate in
severity. The majority of Adverse Events (AEs) were associated with
CNS disorders and not related to study drug. The most commonly
reported events related to study drug were rash and lymphopenia
occurring in 9.1% and 6.8% of patients respectively. Study drug
discontinuation was reported in four patients overall due to AEs.
Only one patient experienced serious Adverse Events (Grade 5
intracranial tumor hemorrhage and tumor necrosis), assessed as
possibly related to nimotuzumab.

No Complete Responses (CR) were observed. At week 8, a PR was
reported in two patients, SD in six patients and Progressive
Disease (PD) in 11 patients who were evaluable for response,
resulting in a Clinical Benefit Rate (CR+PR+SD) of 18.2%. At week
18, one patient continued to have a PR and three patients continued
with SD, giving an Overall Response Rate of 2.3%. The Median
Duration of Response, Time to Progression, and Overall Survival
were 2.1 months, 1.7 months and 3.2 months respectively.

Nimotuzumab is designated an Orphan Drug for adult and pediatric
glioma by the FDA as well as the EMEA for Europe.

About Nimotuzumab:
Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting EGFR with
an enhanced side effect profile over currently marketed
EGFR-targeting antibodies. Nimotuzumab reportedly has been approved
in 27 countries and more than 15,500 patients have been treated
with the drug to date in 35 countries.

Nimotuzumab is licensed to YM's majority-owned joint venture,
CIMYM BioSciences Inc., for Western and Eastern Europe, North
America and Japan, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Israel and
certain Asian and African countries. The drug is currently being
evaluated in several Phase II and III trials in these territories
by various licensees of the drug.

About YM BioSciences
YM BioSciences Inc. is a drug development company advancing three
products: CYT387, a small molecule, dual inhibitor of the JAK1/JAK2
kinases; nimotuzumab, an EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibody; and
CYT997, a vascular disrupting agent (VDA).

CYT387 is an orally administered inhibitor of both the JAK1 and
JAK2 kinases, which have been implicated in a number of immune cell
disorders including myeloproliferative neoplasms and inflammatory
diseases as well as certain cancers. CYT387 is currently in a 166
patient Phase I/II trial in myelofibrosis that has completed
enrollment, as well as a 60 patient Phase II BID trial that is
recruiting patients. Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody
targeting EGFR with an enhanced side-effect profile over currently
marketed EGFR-targeting antibodies. Nimotuzumab is being evaluated
in numerous Phase II and III trials worldwide. CYT997 is an
orally-available small molecule therapeutic with dual mechanisms of
vascular disruption and cytotoxicity, and has completed a Phase II
trial in glioblastoma multiforme. In addition to YM's three
clinical stage products, the Company has several early-stage
research programs underway with candidates from its library of
novel compounds identified through internal research conducted at
YM BioSciences Australia.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which
reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events.
These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results, events or developments to be
materially different from any future results, events or
developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changing
market conditions, the successful and timely completion of clinical
studies, the establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of
competitive products and pricing, new product development,
uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process or the
ability to obtain drug product in sufficient quantity or at
standards acceptable to health regulatory authorities to complete
clinical trials or to meet commercial demand; and other risks
detailed from time to time in the Company's ongoing quarterly and
annual reporting. Certain of the assumptions made in preparing
forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the
following: that CYT387, nimotuzumab and CYT997 will generate
positive efficacy and safety data in ongoing and future clinical
trials, and that YM and its various partners will complete their
respective clinical trials and disclose data within the timelines
communicated in this release. Except as required by applicable
securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.